I lost count of how many Xiaomi Mi5 rumors we reported on last year, but as 2015 started to come to a close, it became clear to everyone that Xiaomi had no intention of releasing a flagship smartphone that year. Most reports agree that this was done to avoid the overheating issues that plagued the Snapdragon 810, and now that 2016 is here, the company will be able to use the Snapdragon 820 instead. That’s exactly what it plans to do, according to co-founder Li Wanqiang, who announced on Tuesday that the Snapdragon 820-powered Mi5 will be released sometime next month.
The rumors have pointed toward an early 2016 launch for the Xiaomi Mi 5 for a while, but this has now been confirmed by one of Xiaomi’s co-founders, Li Wanqiang, on Chinese microblogging site Weibo. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is currently in mass production for a launch following Chinese New Year on February 8. We also now know for sure that the Mi 5 will be powered by the Snapdragon 820. So far all reports of the Snapdragon 820 have it being a huge improvement over the problematic Snapdragon 810, which crippled several of 2015’s major flagships. The Mi 5 will pack 4 GB of RAM and have 32 GB and 64 GB models. Other rumors about the Mi 5 include full metal construction, fingerprint scanner, QHD display, a 16 MP primary camera and massive 13 MP front-facing camera along with a huge 3,600 mAh battery featuring Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 standard. Interestingly, the Mi 5 is rumored to have a 5.2-inch display, cramming in a huge 565 ppi. Previously leaked price details have the device at the equivalent of $310 and $390 US dollars, but these prices are not yet confirmed. Do you think the Mi 5 will become the next “fastest phone in the world”? Would you buy the Mi 5 if if came to the States?
